Operating fluid container for a motor vehicle

Abstract

The present invention discloses an operating fluid container for a motor vehicle, wherein the operating fluid container comprises a fill level sensor, a tank control device and an electrically and/or electromagnetically actuable actuator; the tank control device is connected to the actuator by means of a first data exchange connection and to the fill level sensor by means of a second data exchange connection; the fill level sensor is designed to transmit data representing a fill level of the operating fluid container to the tank control device via the second data exchange connection; the tank control device is designed to transmit a filling stop signal to the actuator via the first data exchange connection upon receiving data which represent a predetermined fill level of the operating fluid container; and the actuator initiates the termination of a filling procedure of the operating fluid container upon receiving the filling stop signal.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An operating fluid container for a motor vehicle comprising:
 a fill level sensor; 
 a tank control device; 
 an electronic unit transmitting electronic data to the tank control device and 
 an electrically and/or electromagnetically actuable actuator by means of which a termination of a filling procedure of the operating fluid container is initiated; 
 wherein 
 the tank control device is connected to the actuator by means of a first data exchange connection and to the fill level sensor by means of a second data exchange connection; 
 the fill level sensor is configured to transmit data representing a fill level of the operating fluid container to the tank control device via the second data exchange connection; 
 the tank control device is designed to transmit a filling stop signal to the actuator via the first data exchange connection upon receiving data which represent a predetermined fill level of the operating fluid container, wherein the predetermined level is lower than a maximum fill level of the operating fluid container; 
 the actuator initiates the termination of the filling procedure of the operating fluid container upon receiving the filling stop signal; 
 the tank control device is configured to implement a market-specific shut-off after the filling stop signal has been transmitted from the tank control device to the filling device; and 
 the data comprising the configuration for the market-specific shut-off characteristics is stored in an electronic data store of the electronic unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The operating fluid container of  claim 1 , wherein the tank control device is configured to receive data representing an inclination of the operating fluid container in addition to the data transmitted by the fill level sensor; and the tank control device is configured to identify an actual fill level of the operating fluid container by means of the data representing the fill level and the data representing the inclination of the operating fluid container. 
     
     
       3. The operating fluid container of  claim 2  further comprising an inclination sensor determining the inclination of the operating fluid container, wherein the inclination sensor is connected to the tank control device via the second data exchange connection and/or a fourth data exchange connection, via which data identified by the inclination sensor and representing the inclination of the operating fluid container is transmitted to the tank control device. 
     
     
       4. The operating fluid container of  claim 1 , wherein
 at least one actuator is configured as a service and/or refueling vent valve arranged in and/or on the operating fluid container; 
 the service and/or refueling vent valve is electrically and/or electromagnetically actuable between an open position and a closed position; 
 the operating fluid container is fluidically connected to a vent line by means of the service and/or refueling vent valve in the open position; and 
 the operating fluid container is fluidically separated from the vent line by means of the service and/or refueling vent valve in the closed position. 
 
     
     
       5. The operating fluid container of  claim 1 , wherein
 at least one actuator is configured as a non-return valve arranged in and/or on a filler pipe leading into the operating fluid container; 
 the non-return valve is electrically and/or electromagnetically actuable between an open position and a closed position; 
 the operating fluid container is fluidically connected to the filler pipe by means of the non-return valve in the open position; 
 the operating fluid container is fluidically separated from the filler pipe by means of the non-return valve in the closed position; and 
 a clear width of the filler pipe is reduced by means of the non-return valve. 
 
     
     
       6. The operating fluid container of  claim 1 , wherein
 at least one actuator is configured as a cutoff valve arranged between the operating fluid container and an active carbon filter; 
 the cutoff valve is electrically and/or electromagnetically actuable between an open position and a closed position; 
 the operating fluid container is fluidically connected to the active carbon filter by means of the cutoff valve in the open position; and 
 the operating fluid container is fluidically separated from the active carbon filter by means of the cutoff valve in the closed position. 
 
     
     
       7. The operating fluid container of  claim 1 , wherein
 at least one actuator is configured as a cutoff valve arranged between an active carbon filter and the atmosphere; 
 the cutoff valve is electrically and/or electromagnetically actuable between an open position and a closed position; 
 the operating fluid container is fluidically connected to the atmosphere via the active carbon filter and via the cutoff valve in the open position; and 
 the operating fluid container and the active carbon filter are fluidically separated from the atmosphere by means of the cutoff valve in the closed position. 
 
     
     
       8. The operating fluid container of  claim 1 , wherein
 the tank control device has a specified fill level signal input line via which data representing a specified fill level is transmitted to the tank control device; and 
 the tank control device is configured to issue the filling stop signal when the fill level of the operating fluid container reaches the specified fill level. 
 
     
     
       9. A method for filling the operating fluid container of  claim 1  by means of a filling device comprising:
 transmitting a venting signal to at least one service and/or refueling vent valve by means of the tank control device; 
 identifying the fill level of the operating fluid container by means of the fill level sensor; and 
 issuing a filling stop signal to at least one actuator when the fill level of the operating fluid container has reached a specified fill level, wherein the specified fill level is lower than a maximum fill level of the operating fluid container. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 establishing a data exchange connection between the tank control device and the filling device; 
 transmitting a filling start signal from the tank control device to the filling device via the data exchange connection when the venting signal is transmitted to the service and/or refueling vent valve, whereupon the filling device starts with a delivery of operating fluid into the operating fluid container; and 
 transmitting a second filling stop signal from the tank control device to the filling device via the data exchange connection when the filling stop signal is transmitted to at least one of actuators, whereupon the filling device terminates the delivery of the operating fluid. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein a further filling start signal is transmitted from the tank control device to the filling device after the second filling stop signal has been transmitted from the tank control device to the filling device, so that a further filling of the operating fluid container by the filling device takes place until an automatic shut-off of the filling procedure is implemented by the filling device. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the filling stop signal is issued to the service and/or vent valve when the fill level of the operating fluid container has reached the specified fill level and a currency amount of an operating fluid quantity delivered by the filling device corresponds to a flat currency amount. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 establishing a data exchange connection between the tank control device and the filling device; 
 transmitting a filling start signal from the tank control device to the filling device via the data exchange connection when the venting signal is transmitted to the service and/or refueling vent valve, whereupon the filling device starts with a delivery of operating fluid into the operating fluid container; and 
 transmitting a ventilation stop signal to the service and/or refueling vent valve by means of the tank control device so that venting of the operating fluid container is stopped, and simultaneously transmitting a signal from the tank control device to the filling device by means of which a reduction in a delivery rate of the filling device is initiated.